2018/06/29

Most people will agree with me when I say that all beginnings can be a bit bittersweet. Your first year of uni is no exception to that.

While it is very exciting to say goodbye to your trusted high school/college and familiarise yourself with the new uni environment, it's no easy task nevertheless. Especially when you decide to leave your beloved home and move to another country as I did for example.

I love the idea of fresh starts, and even though it can be quite challenging at times, I can say now in retrospective that it was totally worth it and that I'm looking forward to my next two years.

Recently, I thought a lot about myself as an individual and, more specifically, how I've changed over the past year which was mostly due to the fact that I left my comfort zone and basically had to grow up in order to live alone in a whole new country.

So I figured it might be interesting to talk about 6 things I've learnt over this past year and who knows, it might be helpful to others who are thinking about doing the same thing. Let's do the rundown now!

Explore as much as you can

New country/city and new people equals a lot of new things worth exploring. I think one of the most common "mistakes" (if I may say so) is to build a new comfort zone in your new uni area and stay in your bubble without paying attention to what else is going on. Of course, it's amazing to build a friend group that you equally can have fun with and talk to about everything. But don't limit yourself! Try to meet as many new people as you can! You might come across really interesting and fun people that you wouldn't have met otherwise. Same goes for the city. As tempting as it might be to just go to common places that you already know, you shouldn't forget that there are plenty of cute coffee place, delicious restaurants and beautiful streets that only wait to be explored.

Dare to approach somebody first

I think that especially when you're a bit more of a shy person, this might be quite difficult. Personally, I found it very hard to make the first step towards people but looking back at it now, I'm so happy that I did. Just try to think this way: what is the worst thing that could happen? That the person says no? Well, considering all the good things that could come out of you approaching somebody, I think it's definitely a risk worth taking.

Don't build your life around one single person

In the same thought line, I think moving away from home can make you a bit more vulnerable to get very attached to one single person. It's beautiful to find somebody that you "click" with and can connect to, but it's important that you don't start to build your new life solely around that one person. It's unfair to them and it's even more unfair to yourself.

Stay true to yourself and your principles

Very cheesy one, I know. But it's so important that you stay true to who you truly are. Uni is the time to explore yourself and become your true self. Sometimes, especially in the beginning, it can be hard to not conform to what you consider to be the norm, but it's so important! You want people to like you for who you truly are, not for who they think you are. And believe me, they will!

Be grateful

This is a very important point for me personally. The fact that I wanted to move to London since the age of 10 and finally got to go for it and live out my childhood dreams, makes me probably the happiest person alive. On the other hand, it makes me really sad to see people who take everything for granted. Never forget that there are people who maybe would've loved to get into your course, but didn't make it in or people who don't have the means to realise themselves to this extent. Don't forget that you're damn lucky to be able to do what you love!

Don't lose focus

When you first get to your new home/uni, there's so much going on that it's easy to lose sight of why you moved in the first place. I figured that it's a pretty good idea to sometimes just take a step back from everything, spend some me-time and remind myself what I came to London for. Believe me, it works wonders.

Have fun!

Last but not least, don't forget to enjoy your time to its fullest! People always talk about how uni are the happiest years of your life and, considering my first-year experience, I can only agree. Sure, it's really difficult sometimes and I've had to push my boundaries more than once, but all in all, it's going to be worth it!

2018/06/25

According to my grandma, black isn't a good colour to wear during summer. According to me, black is always a good idea and easy option if you have little time to think about styling and combining but still want to look put together. Even though I'm more the short-dress-kinda-person, I've been hugely loving this long silk dress by Eureka for years now. When I first bought it, I wasn't sure if I would get the use out of it (which, considering the price, was a question worth thinking about) but I found that I've had at least one occasion every year that I could wear it to. So if you ever find asking yourself whether to get a long black dress, don't hesitate - you won't regret it!

2018/06/17

As you probably have noticed, I haven't been very active on the blog recently. Apologies at this point for that!

If you're following me over on Instagram, you probably know that since I came back from Alanya, I've been working pretty much non-stop. Between Graduate Fashion Week and LFWM (check out my highlights on Instagram to see some glimpses of the shows), free time has been really a rare thing.

I still have sooo many beautiful pictures of Alanya and my time back home in Ukraine that I'm planning on sharing but I simply didn't have the time up until now.

Fast forward to now: I've pre-written some posts in which I'll show you all the incredible places I've been to and some of the outfits I've worn. I'm planning on posting as per usual 4 times a week, so let's see how that'll go!

Starting off today, I wanted to share some glimpses of Alanya which is a city on the Turkish Riviera. We've been staying in the Utopia World Hotel (more about that to come in another post) and, hands down, this has been one of the most beautiful holidays I've ever had in my entire life! I've fallen head over heels for this region with all the beautiful flowers, viewpoints and sunny weather. So if you still don't know where to spend your summer holiday this year, check out Alanya - you're welcome!